The territory's computer systems stand ready for Y2K in most critical departments, according to Roy McFarlane, assistant to the governor for information technology, and other government officials who testified at a Senate Finance Committee meeting Tuesday.
Critical systems expected to be 100 percent ready before Jan 1 are the 911 phone system, Public Works, Fire Service, Police communications network, both Roy L. Schneider Hospital on St. Thomas and Juan Luis Hospital on St. Croix, the Finance Department, the Water and Power Authority, V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency and V.I. Telephone Corp., the officials said.
Most of these are in "probable readiness," according to the "Special Report" prepared by ProBuilders for the Office of Information Technology.
Exceptions are the Fire Service, which according to Rudolph Krigger, special assistant to the governor, is "in 75 percent readiness, and not a critical issue," and the Health Department which is expected to be 85 percent completed and again, "not critical."
With many of the systems earmarked for installation between Dec. 15 and the end of the year, however, there is nothing in the report to indicate how much time will be left to actually test the systems before the end of the year.
The RLS hospital is currently 100 percent completed, and the hospital's biomedical equipment is 75 percent complete and expected to be 100 percent by the first of the year.
Other government departments expected to be 100 percent ready are, Justice, Property and Procurement, the Legislature, Agriculture Department, Office of the Governor, Education, Human Services, Housing, Parks and Recreation, Licensing and Consumer Affairs, Elections System and the Bureau of Economic Research.
Notable among agencies not at all ready are the Department of Tourism and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. The Lieutenant Governor's Office is currently 10 percent completed and is expected to be 50 percent compliant by the end of the year. Tourism is 25 percent completed and expected to be 50 percent compliant by Jan. 1, 2000.
Mc Farlane said these offices are not "critical." The Lieutenant Governor's Office houses all insurance matters and property deeds.
Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull said her office's conversion to Y2K compliance went "live," Oct. 1, the first day of FY 2000. She said the department's independent auditors will have their review completed Dec. 15, at which time it will become public information. Turnbull also reported that $4.1 million has been drawn down so far on Y2K readiness with an additional $1 million draw down pending.
Finance is still preparing its telephone systems and funding is still being sought for this goal. She also said the department has put in place a fast track process to run checks. This has been run successfully since the start of FY 2000.
All Y2K work is being done under a $31,550,000 Y2K loan secured earlier this year from Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, the IBM Corporation and Roosevelt and Cross.
In October a $16,103,276 federal grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior was secured to assist some Virgin Islands agencies with Y2K compliance. Those agencies are:
– Department of Health..
– Roy L. Schneider Hospital.
– Juan F. Luis Hospital.
– Department of Public Safety.
– Department of Justice.
– Department of Finance.
– Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Any money already spent on approved systems can be reimbursed by proceeds from the federal money.
